Chapter 295: They Are Here
Deep within the Imperial Palace of the Southern Unified Empire.
The atmosphere inside the grand hall was oppressive, mirroring Legate's mood.
He paced anxiously in front of the throne covered in red carpet. His hand unconsciously gripped the scepter representing the highest imperial power, his fingertips trembling slightly from the force.
"Still no news?" he asked, his voice hoarse, looking at Friedrich standing quietly below.
Friedrich's face was shrouded in gloom as he shook his head slightly. "Your Majesty, six hours have passed since the last communication."
"We have tried all known long-distance communication magic, even resorting to special methods reserved for emergencies, but there is still no response from the Vanguard Legion."
"No response?!"
Legate stopped abruptly, his voice rising sharply with disbelief and anger. "Impossible! The legion is equipped with over a hundred Court Mages, and dozens of them specialize in long-distance communication magic!"
"Even if they are facing Serie... how could they fail to send back even a single message?!"
"Could it be that they are all..."
His words cut off abruptly. The thought he was most unwilling to believe suddenly surfaced, sending a chill through his body.
Friedrich raised his head. "Your Majesty, judging from the current situation..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but his heavy gaze said everything.
"No... it cannot be..."
Legate denied it subconsciously, as if trying to convince himself, or perhaps resisting the cruel reality.
"That is the Empire's most elite legion! An army I poured countless efforts into building! They possess the finest soldiers, the strongest mages, and... and numerous magical items I prepared specifically for them."
"How could they... how could they be wiped out by just two people..."
His voice grew lower and lower until it became a mumble. The color drained from his face, leaving only a stubbornness born of forced composure.
In Legate's eyes, he had devoted his life's blood to forging this powerful vanguard legion. The resources invested far exceeded what he had spent commissioning the dwarves to forge the Holy Sword.
He believed this army was invincible. He believed no existence in the world could confront it head-on—be it elf or demon.
As for fellow humans, it was even less possible.
In fact, one of the purposes of deploying this powerful legion was to kill Serie; the other was to launch a surprise attack on the Kingdom of Ersten.
Yet now, the plan had failed.
Failed thoroughly.
Watching the Emperor deceive himself, the accumulated worry, disappointment, and fear for the Empire's future finally broke through Friedrich's long-held restraint.
He took a sharp step forward, his aged voice echoing in the empty hall:
"Legate! Wake up!!! You should be considering how to face the current situation, not deceiving yourself here like a fool!"
Being addressed directly by his name and scolded like this shocked Legate. He looked up immediately, staring at his teacher in disbelief.
In his memory, Friedrich had always been calm and composed, occasionally strict but never losing his temper.
Even when Legate was young and mischievous, or made errors in judgment during wars, Friedrich had never scolded him in such a direct tone.
Friedrich's chest heaved violently. Seeing the mix of shock, confusion, and a hint of offended anger on Legate's face, he swallowed the rest of the scolding words, turning them into a heavy sigh.
He knew that his outburst just now had touched the bottom line of this increasingly opinionated Emperor.
But he ultimately hadn't been able to hold back.
How did things come to this?
Friedrich began to reflect on himself.
Simultaneously, he softened his tone, speaking with immense gravity. "Your Majesty, I did not intend to offend. But the facts are before us. We must accept the worst possibility: the Empire's Vanguard Legion has likely been... completely annihilated."
The shock on Legate's face slowly faded, replaced by anger at his authority being challenged.
He stared at Friedrich, looking ready to explode at any moment.
However, his remaining reason and the unflinching look in Friedrich's eyes made him restrain himself.
He took a deep breath, forcing the anger back down. "Friedrich, watch your words. I am the Emperor, the master of this Empire!"
Friedrich ignored the warning. All he cared about now was the survival of the Empire.
If the aftermath wasn't handled properly, this nation could not continue to exist.
"Your Majesty, the urgent task is to immediately mobilize the remaining domestic troops, especially the mages guarding the Imperial Capital. We must prepare for the worst."
"Prepare for the worst?" Legate frowned deeply, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "Teacher, you are being alarmist."
"Where are we? This is my Imperial Capital! Guarded by tens of thousands of elite soldiers, with layers upon layers of magical barriers! Even if Serie and that Rhodes truly possess the power of gods, do they dare to attack us directly right at our doorstep?!"
He seemed to have found a reason to support his confidence, and his tone became tough again. "Last time, they exploited a loophole in our barrier to teleport directly above the capital."
"Now that loophole has been completely patched, and the barrier is fully deployed. Not even a fly could sneak in silently. If they dare to come, it will be the perfect opportunity to show them the Empire's true power!"
The arrogance in his words completely shattered the last shred of hope in Friedrich's heart.
Just as he was about to continue persuading—
BOOM!!!
A roar composed of pure mana appeared without warning, piercing through layers of magical barriers and echoing clearly in every corner of the Imperial Capital.
It wasn't a sound, but rather the wail of shattering space.
Immediately after, an indescribably terrifying mana pressure, solid as a physical weight, crashed down upon the entire capital!
The magical barriers inside and outside the city instantly emitted ear-piercing shrieks of being overwhelmed, their lights flickering madly.
Soldiers patrolling the walls looked up in horror. The clear sky was now dyed with indescribable energy brilliance, and an incomparably massive magic circle was slowly unfolding.
This scene was déjà vu; it seemed to have happened just a short while ago.
Sensing this aura, the arrogance on Legate's face froze instantly, replaced by extreme horror.
He snapped his head toward the palace window. Reflected in his pupils were the giant magic circle in the sky and that aura he knew so well—but which was now infinitely more terrifying.
Friedrich closed his eyes slowly. "As expected... we cannot stop them."
Rhodes and Serie had arrived.
And they had arrived in a manner far exceeding their imagination—with a tyrannical posture that directly crushed all the capital's defenses.
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